RELIGION IN ANCIENT ROME

As in other societies, religion was very important in Ancient Rome. In fact, other societies had a profound effect on the development of Roman religion. For example, the chief Roman god was Jupiter, who headed a family of Roman Gods and Goddesses. These Roman gods would be identified with the gods of Ancient Greece – Jupiter with the Greek Zeus, and so on. As time went by, the Romans adopted a number of foreign gods and religious beliefs.

Augustus was the first Roman emperor and he understood the political importance of religion in Rome. He encouraged the idea of emperor worship or the idea that the emperor was god-like because Roman citizens were much less likely to oppose the emperor if he was divine. This idea of the emperor as a god was referred to as the imperial cult. For example, on his death Julius Caesar was recognized as a god.

Due to the expansive nature of the Roman Empire, many religions and religious movements would influence the great empire. For example, the empire was influenced by foreign “mystery cults”. Specifically, the worship of Cybele, the “Great Mother” originated in modern-day Turkey and was popular among women. Another mystery cult that impacted Rome was that of the Egyptian goddess Isis.

Mithraism sculpture.

Emperor Constantine

Another religion, Mithraism, was a religion that became popular among Roman soldiers. It originated in modern-day Iran and worshipers of this religion believed that all life of earth sprang from the blood of a bull that had been killed by a hero-god.​Christianity would have the biggest impact on the Roman Empire. It was founded at the same time as the Roman Empire itself but took a long time to develop within the Roman Empire. Because Christians refused the worship the Roman gods, they were persecuted by many early Roman emperors. However, Christianity gained more and more followers and in 313 it was recognized and Emperor Constantine would make it the official Roman religion. Today, some historians consider the rise of Christianity in Ancient Rome as one of the main reasons for the collapse of Ancient Rome.